Spark-arrester.



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UNITED v STATES PATENT i Fries.

JOHN A. RICHTER, OF OSAVATOMIE, KANSAS.

SPARK-ARRESTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 688,693, dated December 1.0,r 1901.

Application filed November 12, 1900. Serial No. 36,214. (No model.)

To all wtontit may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. RICHTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Osawatomie, Miami county, Kansas, have invented a new and useful Spark-Arrester, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to spark-arresters; and my object is to produce a structure of this character for locomotive smoke-stacks in particular whereby chances of firing houses, haystaeks, dto., are practically eliminated and a more economic consumption of fuel is attained.

A further object is to produce a spark-arrester which can be applied in a modified form to either the ordinary or the extensionfront-end locomotive, in the latter case thereby avoiding danger of warping and cracking of the casting by an accumulation of hot cinders; furthermore, to produce a construction which is simple, strong, durable, and cheap.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which-4 Figure l isa longitudinal section taken on the line IV IV of Fig. 2 and showing what is known as an extension-frontend locomotive with a form of arrester therein. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line V V of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view showing an attachment for conducting the cinders to the ground at one side of the track instead of returning them to the fire-box or combustion-chamber.

In the said drawings, l designates a locomotive, which may be of the ordinary type or may have its front end extended, as shown at la, the latter type being technically referred to as the extension-frontend boiler or locomotive, this extension being provided for the purpose of providing space wherein cinders may accumulate, which accumulation is found in practice to warp and crack the lcasting in a comparatively short time.

2 designates the boilertubes, extending from the furnace 3 to the smoke-box 4, with which the smoke-stack 5 communicates. In

the bottom of the smoke-box vertically below the smoke-stack is found the nozzle 6 to eX- haust up through the smoke-stack, thereby creating and maintaining a forced draft to properly support combustion.

17 designates tubulararms branching from nozzle 6a, and 18a pipes or tubes connected at their opposite ends to said branch nozzles and the front ends of pipes 13, extending rearwardly and adapted to discharge in to the combustion chamber or furnace, the front ends of said pipesbeing connected to a box 20.

The box 20, above referred to, is of such construction that it forms the communicating passages 21, 22, 23, and 24, passage' 2l enveloping the front ends of all of the boiler-tubes and communicating at its lower end with the lower end of passage 22, a slide-plate 25, secured to the diaphragm or partition 26 between passages 21 and 22,.serving as a means whereby the draft may be regulated or oontrolled by increasing or diminishing the width of the throat or opening connecting said'passages. That portion of the box comprising passages 22, 23, and 24 is inverted-U shape in side view and is narrower than chamber`2l, which extends to the sides of the boiler. The other portion of the box, in which passages 2'4 are located, is widened, so as to provide passages 27 at opposite sides of passages 24 and communicating therewith through openings 28, and from said openings inclined deflectors 29 and 30 converge upwardly and inwardly at opposite sides of the center of passages 24, so that the draft or blast shall follow the tortuouscourse down through saidl passages indicated by the arrows, Fig. 2,' and escape into the lower front end of the smoke-box, as indicated clearly in Fig. l, from whence the draft forced by discharge of steam from the nozzle 6a up through the smoke-stack carries it up through the latter in the usual manner, but relieved largely of its combustible gases and practically all of the hot coals .and cinders, as hereinafter explained, and in this connection it maybe stated that for convenience `the discharge-nozzle 6 will project up through passage 23, as shown. The lower ends Vof passages 27 register with holes 31, formed in the extension-head, and also registering with said holes are the u pturned ends of return-pi pes 13a, above referred to. It will thus be seen that tubes 18a, hereinbefore 4de- ICO to the cab, this construction not being illuspipes 13, so as to create a suction sufficiently strong` to draw the heavy gases and all citt- 5 ders entering passages 27 back and into the combustion-chatnber, these gases and cinders being deectetl into said passages, because intercepted by the overlapping ends of the oppositely-projectiug deflectors 29 and 30, assuming, of course, that the draft from the nozzle 6"L is not sufliciently heavy to overcome the suction created by the blast from branch pipes 18a and the weight ofthe unconsumed or partly-consumed fuel. By this arrange,- ment it is obvious, therefore, that hot cinders cannot accummulate in the extension front end and that danger of the war-page and cracking of the latter is consequently eliminated. Furthermore, the coals and hot cittdersr being returned to the'furnace the operation of the locomotive is more economic and danger of `tiring adjoining' property is eliminated. t

In some cases it may be desirable to discharge the hot ciuders upon the ground at one side of the track. In this case the returnpipes 13@L are dispensed with and in lieu thereof short pipes 32 are secured to the extension front end and are arranged to receive the cinders from passages 27 and discharge them into a box 83, having a laterally-projecting spout 34, whereby they are discharged at the will of the engineer in the Acab at one side of the track. the spout will be provided with a suitable valve having a flexibleconnection leading trated, as it may be of any common or preferred type.

From the above descriptionit will be apparent that I have produced a spark-arrester for locomotives and kindred engines which It will be understood, of course, that embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in thevstatement of invention and which is obviously susceptible of modification in various minor particulars without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. y

Having thus described lthe invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a spark-arrester for steam-engines, an arched box having its opposite ends open, and its rear end arranged to receive the products of combustion, and having its front portion provided with two parallel perforated partitions, forming three longitudinal passages, and provided also with delectors extending inwardly and upwardly ofthe central passage from the lower margins of the perforations of said partitions,pipes connecting thedischarge or lower ends of the side passages with the furnace, and steam-discharge nozzles, projecting rearwardly into said return-pipes, substantially asdescriloed.

2. In a spark-arrester for steam-engines, the combination of an archedI box having its opposite ends open and its rear end arranged to receive the products of combustion and its front portion divided to provide a plurality'of longitudinal passages, said divisions or partitions being provided with openings, and deectors which extend inwardly and upwardly of the central passage from the lower margins of said openings, and a discharge pipe or tube connected to the passages at opposite ends of said central passage, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. JOHN A. RICHTER.

Witnesses:

H. C. RoDGERs, l G. Y. THORPE. 

